{"id":184981,"date":"2024-11-22T09:05:40","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T14:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/?p=184981"},"modified":"2024-11-22T09:06:16","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T14:06:16","slug":"nancy-merrill-sullivan-honored-with-best-buddies-2024-diane-ray-brown-lifetime-of-friendship-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/vadc\/nancy-merrill-sullivan-honored-with-best-buddies-2024-diane-ray-brown-lifetime-of-friendship-award","title":{"rendered":"Nancy Merrill Sullivan Honored with Best Buddies 2024 Diane Ray Brown Lifetime of Friendship Award"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”184983″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]On Friday, November 1, 2024, at the Homecoming: Two Parties One Purpose Gala,<\/a> Advisory Board Chair Taylor Brandreth and Advisory Board Member Allyson Waldrep of Tiffany & Co.<\/a> presented longtime Best Buddies supporter Nancy Merrill Sullivan, President of the Merrill Family Foundation, with the 2024 Diane Ray Brown Lifetime of Friendship Award.<\/p>\n

Over the past eight years, Nancy and the Merrill Family Foundation have quietly and meaningfully made a significant impact on the growth of Best Buddies in Virginia and DC.<\/p>\n

As a funder of our programs for the past 8 years, Nancy has been an unwavering philanthropic advocate and supporter; she has invested in the Best Buddies mission in the Capital Region and is pivotal to the growth of Best Buddies locally from a few dozen friendship chapters to now impacting more than 4,000 students each year.<\/p>\n

\"Diane<\/p>\n

\u201cBest Buddies came to our rescue during a challenging time for our family, offering invaluable respite and enriching experiences for our son, Colin,\u201d<\/em> Nancy shared. \u00a0\u201cTheir support not only lightened our load but also created a joyful community for individuals with intellectual disabilities. We are deeply grateful for the dedicated volunteers who generously give their time and hearts to make a difference.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The Diane Ray Brown Lifetime of Friendship Award is the highest honor Best Buddies in Virginia & DC can bestow on a local community member. Established in partnership with Tiffany & Co. in 2021, this annual award is presented at the Best Buddies Homecoming Gala to recognize individuals for their philanthropic spirit, generosity, and dedication to advancing the mission of inclusion and friendship.<\/p>\n

Past awardees include Tommy McFly<\/a>, John Drew<\/a>, and Shannen Coffin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Diane Ray Brown was a passionate supporter and volunteer for Best Buddies in the Capital Region, embodying the values of friendship and service. Through this award, Tiffany & Co. helps Best Buddies honor Diane\u2019s incredible legacy and commitment to creating a more inclusive world.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nancy Merrill Sullivan is a longtime Best Buddies supporter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2080,"featured_media":184983,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"vadc-single-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[504,505],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-184981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-capital-region","category-capital-region-news"],"yoast_head":"\nNancy Merrill Sullivan Honored with Best Buddies 2024 Diane Ray Brown Lifetime of Friendship Award - Best Buddies International<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/vadc\/nancy-merrill-sullivan-honored-with-best-buddies-2024-diane-ray-brown-lifetime-of-friendship-award\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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